Situation in Myanmar poses national security threat: Biden

(ANI)-  The political situation in Myanmar continues to pose a national security threat to the United States and constitutes a national emergency, United States President Joe Biden said on Monday (February 7th).

“The situation in and in relation to Burma, and in particular the February 1, 2021 coup continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on February 10, 2021, must continue in effect beyond February 10, 2022,” President Biden said, referring to the country's former name.

He officially extended the national emergency for one year and transmitted a notice on the matter to Congress.

Security forces have killed at least 114 children since the military takeover last year, including 18 children in January alone, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday. 

The UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the number of injured children has been significantly higher. Haq reminded the country's security forces of their obligation to uphold children's rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, which Myanmar signed in 2019. 

In a recent update, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said the conflict has intensified over the past month, with increased reports of army raids across Myanmar, especially in the northwest and southeast regions.